Nov 1, 2024
According to the American Sportfishing Association, more than 24 million people annually participate in bass fishing. In 2009, the Illinois High School Association included bass fishing as a competitive team sport, with 324 Illinois high schools participating in the 2024 spring season. In addition to the school-sanctioned events, competitive tournament trails have been created to provide youth anglers with opportunities to fish all year long.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Chinook and coho salmon migrate to the Lake Michigan shorelines each fall looking for a place to spawn, signaling the onset of the Illinois snagging season. More than just an opportunity to land a large fish, for many anglers this unique approach to fishing is a cultural event.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Like many states, Illinois has faced the challenge of dealing with invasive species and one of particular concern is the black carp. A bottom-dwelling fish, black carp are voracious predators of mollusks, posing a severe risk to native mollusk populations, and a threat to the fishing industry. Learn how state and federal agencies are working to address the threat of black carp in Illinois and other parts of the Mississippi River Basin.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Thirteen teams of Illinois youth sat in their boats watching the sun rise one early June morning, scanning the waters of Johnson Lake at Banner Marsh State Fish and Wildlife Area. At the 7 a.m. signal they departed from the boat ramp and the Illinois Bob Kerans Scholastic Muskie Tournament was under way.
MoreNov 1, 2024
Chicago No Limits Fishing facilitates a fishing trip for the members of the Vaughan Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, based at the Hines VA hospital in Maywood. A little encouragement and an inclusive environment was all it took to unlock the exciting world of fishing and boating for individuals attending.
MoreAug 1, 2024
It is State Fair season (August 8-18, 2024) and one of the popular exhibits at Conservation World, located on the northwest corner of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, is the Fisheries tent. Back by popular demand will be a variety of fish exhibits and hands-on fishing opportunities. New this year will be two days with early opening hours to allow sensory-minded interactions, a display on the sea lamprey and a series of banners highlighting record catches of sportfish in Illinois.
MoreAug 1, 2024
When we think about mosquitoes, it is often of the species that are common around our homes during mid- to late summer and which annoy us, and possibly transmit disease agents to humans or other animals. Yet there are nearly 70 species of mosquitos are present in Illinois and some species produce a single generation each year.
MoreAug 1, 2024
Understanding the Classification of Illinois’ Wildlife
State-endangered species, state-threatened species and Illinois protected species are three classifications of wildlife commonly mentioned in OutdoorIllinois Journal articles. What do they mean? Read on to learn about these classifications that often have complex and intertwined regulations.
MoreAug 1, 2024
Formed nearly 25 years ago, the Chicago Fishing Advisory Committee was established by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in advance of the Chicago-based 2000 Bass Masters Classic. In this monthly forum, a diverse group of northern Illinois fishing professionals and enthusiasts come together to discuss agency fishery management and education activities, and fishing access issues within the City of Chicago.
MoreAug 1, 2024
Within the Ozark Natural Division in Illinois lies a karst region, a terrain formed by the action of water, with an acidic property, in the dissolution of limestone or other carbonate bedrock layers. Within the post-oak barrens, restored prairies, sinkholes and caves of the region, unique wild creatures go about their lives partaking partly of each, the surface and subsurface.
More
A message from Chief Mike McClelland
Welcome to the November 2024 edition of the online magazine OutdoorIllinois Journal, featuring timely, seasonally based stories about the Prairie State’s wildlife resources, with an expansion of content to include a broader range of subjects—including endangered and threatened species and Illinois’ unique, high-quality habitats and the people working to preserve, protect and manage these resources.
